Rail fares advice 'inadequate', says Which?

[Railjet]

In short the railway is run for the benefit of passengers, and even society in general. But the TOCs themselves are run for the benefit of shareholders. The franchises exist for the benefit of customers but people who run them have to look after their shareholders first.

Some might argue that such a system is fundamentally flawed.

True. But you (not you personally; the generic you!) can't apply a simple commercial situation (a company is run for the benefit firstly of the shareholders) to the railways.

Since TOCs get public money, there's the taxpayer involved as well as the shareholder and passenger (who is not just a fare-paying customer, but one less road-user). Who says who is top dog?

 

[Statto]

Perfect example of the complexities on some of the tickets is the Huddersfield-London thread, where the op want's to do the outward journey via VT, but the return journey on ECML, such a simple journey, yet it's a minefield going through the restrictions on the vadility of off peak tickets on some trains.